Midweek League One Betting: Posh to continue their hot scoring streak

Alan Dudman continued his good form on Saturday with another three winners to keep the profit ticking along. He's looking for more success with Tuesday's fixtures...

Out of form duo can serve up a bet on the draw

Tranmere Rovers v Bristol Rovers
Tuesday 19:45

At the awards' dinner at the end of the year, neither of these teams will win any defensive prizes. Both showed their frailties at the back with their respective defeats on Saturday.

Bristol Rovers met League One wise guys Wycombe on a good day, but were awful at the back despite some good build-up play. It was a mirror image from Tranmere against in-form Portsmouth too. Micky Mellon's side played the ball around nicely, but their Achilles' heel from set-pieces killed them off again.

The stats are shocking for both. The hosts have won just once in 14 in the league, whilst Ben Garner's side are winless in 13.

So how do we approach this for a bet? Well firstly, Tranmere's price of 2.56 is shocking value. If you consider Peterborough were 2.18 at the weekend going for a fifth win on the spin, how an earth can the hosts be around 6/4?

Likewise the visitors, who really struggle to score in open play. And their recent tally of two goals in five games is hardly a ringing endorsement to get stuck into their price of 3.00.

Which means the draw is probably the safest bet, as I like that bet for two teams that dare not lose. Tranmere's league position is very precarious in the bottom three, and if the Gas aren't careful (without a win since Dec 14th), they'll be joining them.

Mellon has called for his team to not surrender a clean sheet so meekly. They might just be able to against a team that have managed 14 goals in as many games on the road. And that's without mentioning the quagmire pitch.

KEY OPTA STAT: None of the last seven league encounters between Tranmere and Bristol Rovers have seen both sides score in a game since 2008.

Wombles too big in price yet again

AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town
Tuesday 19:45

The Dons were defeated 1-2 on Saturday against Fleetwood - a loss that denied us a clean sweep for those four weekend bets. It was a late goal for Joey Barton's side, which is just as frustrating as reading the match reports. By all accounts, the Londoners deserved something from the game with a good performance.

Glyn Hodges' side were shorter in the betting for that than for Tuesday, but I'm going in again. Wimbledon are 4.30 for this, and that's overpriced. They might be towards the bottom of the table, but their home form stacks up well enough with just four defeats at Kingsmeadow all season.

Just as the hosts are attractively priced, Ipswich offer little value at 2.06. After all, they dropped out of the top six for the first time this season following Saturday's 1-0 loss at Sunderland, but they haven't been picking up results away from home for a while. A run of just one victory in eight on the road doesn't equate to a price of nearly evens for me.

I also worry about Ipswich against a physical side. Rotherham beat them with pure strength and aerial presence recently, and Sunderland have a bit of that too. If they are expecting a possession based game on Tuesday they are wrong. Wimbledon will make them defend.

Hodges has been playing a couple of youngsters recently, and it was good to see a bit of praise for Jack Rudoni and Paul Osew - two 19-year-olds who gave it their all on Saturday. The hosts had 21 shots against Fleetwood, so I expect them to create a fair bit of pressure here.

We can go again with the Double Chance bet on the Wombles considering their outright price.

KEY OPTA STAT: Ipswich have lost 10 of their last 11 league games in London, including each of their last six in a row.

Flying Posh can take care of Shrimpers with ease

Peterborough United v Southend United
Tuesday 19:45

Peterborough were outlined as the best bet for Saturday's preview column, and they delivered in style with a handsome 4-0 win against a jaded Oxford. They also secured our 2.5 bet for good measure.

And we go again on the Posh, who with five wins on the spin, are simply irresistible at the moment.

Okay, we haven't got the home win price. And the 1.36 on offer is fully understandable with Southend in town. But I was pleased to see the Peterborough-1 to back at 1.90 on Sunday evening. That market is basically asking can they win by two goals? On recent evidence, of course they can.

Posh took their league tally to 60 at the weekend, and 35 at home - both table toppers in every sense. They've also beaten four promotion rivals in their recent sequence of victories.

Ivan Toney showcased his skills once more, his two goals were great, but watching the highlights, he is so impressive with the way he works back to win the ball. Sammie Szmodics starred again, and his energy and pressing has given this side a new lease of life. With Siriki Demebele - the Posh have a new "Holy Trinity".

I ought to mention Southend, as Sol Campbell deserves plenty of credit for making them harder to beat. A run of two defeats in their last seven is much improved from the shambles earlier in the season. But they do concede a lot of goals on the road, and they cannot afford to be as sloppy as they were in the first half on Saturday at Blackpool.

KEY OPTA STAT: Peterborough are the highest scorers this season in League One with 60, whilst Southend have conceded more goals than any other team in the Football League (72).